The alkylation of various organic compounds utilizing alkylating agents such as olefins or alkyl halides is well known in the art. The alkylation of these organic compounds, one example being the treatment of an aromatic hydrocarbon such as benzene with an olefin, is accomplished by utilizing Friedel Crafts catalysts. The type of catalyst which may be employed for the reaction will comprise a Bronstead type acid such as phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, solid phosphoric as hydrofluoric acid, etc. or a Lewis type acid such as aluminum chloride, boron trifluoride, zinc chloride, ferric chloride, etc. As was hereinbefore mentioned, the alkylating agents which are usually employed will comprise an olefinic compound or an alkyl halide. In some instances, it may have been useful to employ an alkylamine as the alkylating agent. However, the presence of amino-nitrogen functionalities in this type of compound was detrimental to the use of such a compound due to the fact that the rate of production of the desired alkylated product proceeded at a low rate which slowed, or in some instances, ceased to operate. The low rate of reaction or inability to act as an alkylating agent thus rendered the use of such an alkylating agent economically unfeasible. The slowness of the reaction is due to the fact that the amine group of the alkylating agent poisons the catalyst by the formation of an acid-base compound, the poison thus rendering the catalyst incapable of operating as such.
As will hereinafter be shown in greater detail, it has now been discovered that an alkylamine may function as an alkylating agent in the presence of certain metal catalysts.